What:
As part of the Going Global technology program, STA began leasing Dell Latitude 2100 netbooks to each student in fall 2010. The netbooks, installed with programs such as Open Office, Adobe CS3 programs, Audacity and Logger Pro graphing software, were provided after each student attended a netbook orientation in August and paid a $625 technolgy and book fee. Wireless internet was configured across campus and two wireless printers were installed, one in the Donnelly Hall Library and one in administrative assistant Julia Berardi’s office in the Music and Arts Building. The Help Desk, led by network administrator Matt Stewart and technology support Jeff Zimmerman, was established to help students with problems regarding hardware, software, printing and all other technology issues. Some courses, like college Spanish III, eliminated textbooks and relied purely on their netbooks for classes.
So What:
Providing each student with personal computer access has forever changed the way teachers teach and the way students learn. No longer are the days STA girls race to the library, the computer lab or the MSRC during a free to print their English paper for next period, only to find that all the computers are taken. Providing each student with this technology ensures students are able to complete research, print papers or look up homework from anywhere on campus. Teachers are no longer restricted to teaching solely the material in textbooks; the whole world wide web is now available as a teaching and learning resource, expanding opportunities and preparing students for college life.
Now What:
Since technology is forever and constantly changing, implementing new technology at STA is a continuous process. According to principal for academic affairs Barbara McCormick, technology is not a project the administration can ‘start and stop.’Â In order for STA to remain an educational innovator, the subject must be re-visited and constantly updated. McCormick said the next step surrounding netbooks is to continue to fully immerse them into the classroom environment, whether that is though sharing documents, submitting papers wirelessly, utilizing software such as Audacity to make podcasts or using the internet to assist with projects. Through the Going Global program, administrators will continue to research new technologies, including online learning, updated SmartBoards, tablet computers, distance learning classrooms, new software and other innovations as they arrive.
